10 Times The Movie Killer Was Hiding In Plain Sight

8. Norman Bates - Psycho

Alfred Hitchcock's legendary horror classic Psycho might play host to one of the worst-kept plot twists in movie history, but there's no denying the brilliantly sly nature of the film's devilish villain reveal.

For a solid 95% of the movie, the audience is led to believe that the psychopathic killer who murdered Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) and others is the crazed mother of the soft-spoken, polite motel manager Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins).

For one, the shadowy figure clearly resembles a woman, which makes it all the more shocking when, in the film's final moments, it's revealed that the killer is none other than Norman himself.

As it turns out, Norman had murdered his mother a decade prior and assumed her personality as one of his own, to the extent of even wearing her clothes and mimicking her voice.

Though the film's big twist has been parodied to death at this point, there's no denying its bracing genius, especially for the time.

This also makes re-watching the movie a real hoot, as Norman's charming temperament is interpreted a totally different way once you know his true nature.

Hitchcock was so paranoid about audiences letting the cat out of the bag that he firmly requested they not give away the ending for others, and even asked cinema chains not to allow late-comers into the screen.